Butterfly Dream Diary
by Asa Turney
Summary: My name is Maribel Hearn. When I dream, I find myself in another world... a mysterious and beautiful place that's been lost to time. My partner helps me to interpret these dreams, until someday we might be able to uncover the boundary to reach there directly. [merrymagician@tumblr]
1. Fireworks

I don't know where I was. There were no buildings in sight for quite some distance. The sky was pitch black, except for the perfectly round moon. I wished Renko was there to read the location for me.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a large explosion. There was no clear source, but it seemed to have come from somewhere high above, hundreds of meters above my head.

I turned up to the sky, where I found an incredibly beautiful sight. The canvas of black was being... painted by colorful lights.

When I say the sky changed color, it wasn't the natural gradient of dawn or dusk. Instead, it was as if pure light had been condensed into solid form, and arranged on top of it in intricate patterns. These patterns swept across the sky in waves, advancing from both corners of my vision toward the moon in the center.

From the west, beads of dazzling rainbow. They crossed over each other at elegant angles, seven colors blending together.

From the east, bursts of vibrant flame. I might have believed they were pieces of the sun that had escaped into the night.

The two waves crashed together like cymbals, sending sparks raining down everywhere. The power was intense, tangible; however, it didn't strike me as dangerous. In fact, the flicker of the fire looked very... comforting. Familiar, as if I'd seen it somewhere before. I don't think it would have hurt me even if I were watching from close up. That's just my feeling, though.

Once the curtains of light cleared, for a split second, I swear I saw a pair of silhouettes framed against the shape of the moon. Two figures, flying together among the fireworks. How romantic...

The last thing I felt was a gust of wind pick up behind me... and then I woke up.


	2. Music

I found myself deep inside a huge, ornate mansion.

The construction had a western feel, and the decor was elegant but not gaudy. Unfortunately the place was extremely worn down, with the floorboards creaking and beams looking as if they might break at the slightest touch.

Navigating the maze of rooms, I could hear faint music coming from somewhere in the building. It was faint, but entrancing, luring me towards it before I even realized. With soft steps so that the creaky floor wouldn't drown it out, I was determined to follow the sound to its source.

I passed through the corridors, where crooked portraits hung off the walls. Portraits of a family, with four young daughters. I could barely make out their faces.

The music drew close as I approached a particular room. As I pressed my ear against the heavy wooden door, the muffled notes slipped through the gaps in the frame. I carefully pushed it open.

Inside was a rehearsal hall. All sorts of instruments were lined up in rows, with a stage at the front. Also, there was a phonograph in the corner of the room. At least, I think that's what those machines are called. They're so out of date, I've only ever seen them in pictures. In any case, the music was clearly coming from this empty room, presumably from the phonograph.

I took a seat on the edge of the stage, listening intently. This music... was absolutely beautiful, full of raw emotion.

It had started with a delicate piano melody, before being accompanied by slow, sorrowful strings. I was so moved, tears began to well in my eyes, almost like I was feeling the player's pain. Just when I thought my heart might break... the tempo gradually became faster, reaching a crescendo with a flare of trumpets that painted an entirely new mood!

After a while, the song faded to an end. The music had created an atmosphere of such warmth, the ensuing quiet was unpleasant. I rose from my seat, intending to set the record to play again.

...There was no record on the phonograph.


	3. River

The scenery was a rich, leafy Japanese mountainside. A scattering of birds soared overhead in the clear blue sky. A river cut through the trees, reflecting the sky onto the pure water.

It was unbelievably pretty, but I knew that just about anything could be living among the rocks and trees of this wilderness. I tried to walk alongside the river so I wouldn't get too lost.

I had fallen asleep with my phone in hand, so I began fiddling with it out of habit. Naturally, there was no service. I reached to put it away in my pocket.

Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw something hiding behind a tree. The figure seemed to be humanoid, with a short stature. But I glanced over, and nothing was there. Maybe I was mistaken...

I continued walking, listening to the quiet rushing of the river. The flow was very constant for a long time.

Then, from beyond the riverbend, a small dot appeared on the surface of the water. I squinted at it as it drifted closer into sight, until I could recognize the shape... It was a little paper doll floating down the stream.

No, it wasn't just one doll... Several more bobbed behind, spinning with the current. Dozens, actually. They quickly became more than I could count. So many tiny paper dolls. They were very cute, very simple in design, wearing plain dresses with red bows.

Could this be a remnant of some festival? I'd heard that people would traditionally pour their misfortune into paper dolls, and then ceremonially float them down a river to send their misfortune away.

Of course, that can't be very good for the people downstream. I had a feeling that being here in this aura of bad luck wouldn't bode well for me, so I backed away to keep my distance.

Unfortunately, the bad luck started right away. I clumsily tripped over something that I couldn't even see, and my cellphone went tumbling out of my hands and into the river... I watched it sadly sink to the bottom.

And I woke up without it.

I can't believe this... What a pain. Now I'm going to have to buy a new one. I hope the gods of the mountain can somehow figure out how to make use of my old one.


	4. Cat

A few stray cherry petals fell upon a torii gate, which stood on a foggy horizon. With nowhere else to go, I couldn't help but wander into the small settlement that lay beyond.

Dusty, empty streets divided rows of old-fashioned buildings, with scruffy plants sprouting around the edges of the foundations. It was a quiet place. It seemed very much to be deserted.

And yet, for some reason... around every corner, I had the feeling I was being watched...

From the moment I crossed the threshold, I could sense that the boundary between worlds was exceptionally thin. Like a liminal space where many might cross, but none live.

That said, I carefully peered into the window of the largest building, and the sight was surprising. From the expensive-looking furniture and tableware inside, it was clear that this was a residence of great wealth. On top of that, a fancy-looking kettle was even sitting on the stove, still steaming.

A rustling sound came from behind me, and my heart skipped a beat. If there were such clear signs of life, the place must not be as deserted as I thought. I could only hope the residents were friendly. I turned my head very slowly.

There was nothing to see at eye level.

I looked down. And there she was.

Not a person... Rather, a cat was following me. But not just any cat! I would recognize this one anywhere - the pure black coat, the shining eyes... and two long tails, side by side.

Unless all _bakeneko_ look exactly the same, I'm sure that I met this cat once before at a shrine in my world. I even recognized a small golden ring that pierced her left ear. Could this place be her home? What were the odds that we'd meet again?

I should have noticed before, but when I breathed in through my nose, I realized that the air was filled with a strong minty smell... Those plants growing everywhere, they must be catnip.

Before I could take a step toward the creature, she let out a loud meow, as if warning me away. She seemed confused and wary of me, though I posed no threat.

Her cry attracted several more cats, of varying stripes and sizes. These cats had only one tail apiece, average domestic animals. One after another they emerged from behind walls and under porches where they had been hiding. It was no wonder I had felt so many eyes on me.

Maybe it was lucky that I soon woke up, as the pack of felines may have been ready to pounce on me. They looked so cute and soft, though, it's a shame I couldn't pet them...

Still, I feel like... some part of her presence has stayed with me? It's difficult to explain. Maybe it's just wishful thinking that she followed me home.


	5. Redhead

I made it around the outskirts of a village. With bustling, habitable buildings clearly ahead, for once, it was a place that didn't look haunted or abandoned.

Hastily I advanced on the path toward it, a simple stone path that was lined by willow trees on one side and by a shallow canal on the other. But, along the way, I was stopped by a strange girl with bright red hair.

The girl appeared from amidst the trees, leaning against a trunk with a pose that I believe was meant to look cool. She wouldn't give me her name, but she appeared to be younger than me - perhaps a tallish middle schooler? A very odd individual, wearing a collared capelet that concealed her neck and half of her face. Regardless, it was nice to be able to speak with someone.

She confirmed my assumption that the place ahead was a human village, and that she lived there. Without giving me much of a choice, she told me that she'd lead me there, so I followed... though the farther we walked, the farther the village seemed to get.

At some point, the girl stopped in her tracks and turned to me with a mischievous smirk in her eyes. I don't remember exactly how the conversation went, but it was something like this.

"You must've come a long way to get here. Aren't you tired?"

"Well," I said, "I am technically resting right now..."

She snorted out a laugh. "What does that mean? Are you a sleepwalker?"

I wasn't sure how much I should explain. "Something like that."

"If you're moving around while sleeping, that's pretty risky. You know, your soul can leave your body while you're asleep."

"Ah, I've heard such a story before! You're interested in those legends as well?"

"Around these parts, you'd better be."

We spent a brief time discussing the old legend: A sleeping woman's soul may separate from her body, take the shape of her head, and go wandering. In one tale, the woman's husband chased the head with a sword until it reached back home, and the woman woke up remembering it as a bad dream. If her body had been moved, however, her soul wouldn't have been able to reunite. This would be the origin of the _nukekubi_ , the flying-head youkai.

The girl squinted. "So, you think you know a lot about youkai..."

I blushed modestly at what I hoped was praise. "I know a little."

"But aren't you a bit... _in over your head?_ "

Abruptly, she grabbed the neck of her capelet with one hand and threw it to the ground. Beneath the fabric... the girl's own head floated several inches above her shoulders! It was cleanly separated with no hint of a scar. As she made her declaration, the head rose higher into the air and began to laugh maniacally.

I gasped and fell backwards onto the ground, laughter echoing around me. The _nukekubi_ 's cruel eyes, glowing red, were the last thing I saw.

That was such a frightening experience...

Given some time, I think I've gotten over the shock of the head trick. But I don't know how I'll live with myself after hearing such an awful pun.


	6. Garden

I normally love flower-viewing... but sunflowers are an awfully creepy sort of flower, second only to lycoris. The stalks tower over you with an almost sentient aura of intimidation. The clusters of tiny seeds on their huge faces are like thousands of eyes, watching your every move. And when many are gathered in a field, you can see how every single body turns in the same direction toward the sun in the east, like some sort of hive mind. A natural cult.

Even so, I would never destroy one on purpose... It was an accident, I swear...

I had lost my way in the vast maze of a sunflower garden. I encountered a small group of children there, who were laughing and playing all the way. As if they knew the land instinctively, they danced through the narrow paths between the lines of flowers without ever grazing them. It was fun to watch them play without a care in the world. But, somewhere deep in the maze, they ran ahead too quickly, and I lost track of them.

I was forced to make my own way back out of the garden. The giant flowers were arranged in precise rows, yet they were more difficult to navigate than the children had made it look.

I could see very little over the looming heads of the sunflowers except for the sun itself. Eventually I reached a dead end, a wall of solid green. I turned back around to retrace my last steps... and heard a soft crunch beneath my foot.

I don't know how I had missed it on the same path just before... but I had stepped upon a small bud in the middle of the road, an unlucky late bloomer. When I raised my foot, the broken leaves fluttered off my shoe.

Immediately, for some reason, a chill ran down my spine. Was it the wind? The wind seemed to grow sharper.

I glanced around. The sun continued to hang high in the east. But since when was it... that the sunflowers' faces were no longer gazing in that direction? Though their movement was slow, almost imperceptible, they seemed now to be turning... toward me.

That's right... Their eyeless stares were poring into me. Their stems, already so tall, appeared to stretch even taller. Their golden petals shook ever so subtly, as if in silent anger. Like nature itself was angry with me.

My gut twisted, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. This wall of sunflowers was certainly threatening to close in on me. I dashed away in whatever direction I saw a clearing, pulling free of any vines that clung to my sides. I can't remember how many more barriers I hit before finally making it out.

Don't make fun of me. I know it sounds silly to have been afraid of flowers, of all things. But I couldn't help it. It felt like they were being controlled by something... something that really didn't like me.


End file.
